Steam-table.



H. F. BECHMAN.

STEAM TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-12,1914.

Patented May 22,1917.

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H. F. BECHMAN.

STEAM TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-12,1914.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE. I

HENRY r, BEGHMAN, or BATTLE CREEK,MI0HIGAN, ASSIGNOR To DUPLEX PRINTING PRESS comm, or B T LEcnEEK, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or ivrIcmenN.

STEAM-TABLE.

To all whom it mayconcem:

Be it known that I, HENRY F, BECHMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in, the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam- Tables; and I hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had tothe accome, panying drawings, which form part'of this specification. I

This invention is an improvement in drying tables for drying matrices and the like, and is particularly designed for use in machines in which pressureis applied by mechanically controlled: means, whereby any desired degree of pressure may be applied and the article held under such pressure for any desired length oftime and then released.

In large machines of this type the tables are heated, usually steam heated, so that the matrix will be dried while it isfbeing pressed, and in the practical operation of these machines, especially those of large size as here tofore made, difliculty has been experienced because ofthe unequal expansion of parts, as thetable supporting the matrix upon being heated expands more than-the yoke supporting the platen, and as a result the yoke is sprung ordistorted slightly, but to an extent suflicient to cause a slight displacement of the platen and consequent, imperfections in the work; and this unequalexpansion impairs the life 1 of the machine because the great strains exerted on the bolts uniting the o yoke to the table ultimately loosens or breaksthem, and i-t is f most essential" to accurate work that the yoke and table shall be rigidly united and .immovablyheld fixed relation to each other. e I V 5 x The objectof the presentinvention'is to overcome the unequal expansion of the yoke and table and obviate the strain upon the connections therebetween, andinsure perfect action of the platens and 'uniformity in the work. I will explain'the invention in connection with themachine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lis aside elevation of the complete machine.

, Fig. 2 is a detail end elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal section through the yoke and table looking from the front of. the machine.

While the drawings show a steam heated Specification of Letters Patent. jPaj eni egl May 22, 1917, Application filed October 12, 1914. Serial No.-see,29e.

1: preferably formed integral with the yoke and secured to'the table bymeans of through bolts 1 and nuts 1?, asshown.

The. table and arch, as shown, are preferably madelong enough to accommodate two platens 2 arranged side by side, and which may be used separately or together; such table beingespeci'ally adapted forpressing a V doublepage or truck page matrix, that is, one' double sizedlmatrix covering two pages, which requires the use of both platens; and the machine can also operate upon twio single page matrices placed side by s1 e.

Each platen 2 is preferably suspended on a rod 2 connected by links 2 to a lever 3 pivoted on lugs 1 rising from the yoke as shown,,and the rear end oflever 3 is connected by alink 3 to. one end t of a pressureregulating device comprising a frame composed .of end pieces L, 43,.connected by bolts 49?, and a rod 4 sliding through plate 4: and having anut 4 on its upper end, and

3 its lower end connected to a pitman rod 5*.

A spring 4 is interposed between the nut 4 and plate 4 The other end of pitman-5 is connected to a crank pin 5 on a. crank gear 5, whichlis preferablya worm gear and is,

operated by a worm 6 secured on ashaft 6 journaled in brackets on the main frame.

On each shaft 6 is a .loose pulley 6 provided with a clutch face adapted to be engaged by a clutch member 7 on asleeve 7 slidably mounted'on shaft 6 between the worm 6 and the pulley, said sleeve 7 being splined to the shaft softhat when theclutch 7 is engaged with the pulley the worm 6? will be driven. On the other end of sleeve 7 is a friction member 7 which is adapted to engage an opposed friction member 6 fixed to the worm; the parts being so arranged that when the clutch is disengaged the friction members are brought into engagement, and

with the steam table,

vice versa. The sleeve 7 may be shifted at the will of the operator by means of a lever pivoted on the frame and having a short arm 8 engaging the clutch sleeve, and a long arm 8 extending inwardly and pivotally connected at 8 to the rear arm of a controlling lever 9, pivoted at 9 on the main frame and having its front arm 9 connected by a rod 9 to a treadle-lever 9 which may be held in normal position by means of a spring 9 A roller 8 is attached to the arm 8 and is adapted to engage with cams 5" and 5 formed on or attached to the inner face of the gear 5. These cams have gaps between their adjacent ends into which gaps roller 8 can enter as indicated in the dra\v-' ings, and the lever 9, under the influence of spring 9 will cause roller 8 to move inward and enter a gap 5 l/Vhenever the roller 8 enters a gap 5 the clutch will be disengaged and the friction surfaces engaged; but the operator, by depressing the treadle 9, can cause lever 9 to depress lever 8 and disengage the clutch faces 7* 6, and engage the clutch 7 with the pulley 6, and at the same time move roller 8 out of the notch 5 and it will be held out of this notch by the cam 5 or 5 until the gear 5 has made a one-half revolution.

The means for operating the platens are substantially similar in construction and operation to those shown and claimed in my application for pressure mechanism filed April 22, 1912, Serial No. 692,334.

In the illustrated form of present invention the table 1 is provided with a steam chamber 1, beneath the yoke, into'which steam can be introduced by means of the pipe S connected to a pipe S leading to any suitable steam supply (not shown). The yoke 1 is also provided with a steam chamber 1 which is also connected by a pipe S to the steam supply pipe S. The chambers 1 and 1 may be connected by pipes s and s to an outlet pipe 8.

In the actual machines the table 1 would be about 68 inches long, and when such table is heated it expands about one-tenth of an inch; and the yoke 1 as ordinarily con structed (2'. a, without a steam chamber) 'would not expandequally with the table,

and as such yoke must be rigidly and tightly secured to the table the expansion of the table would cause the yoke to spring and loosen or shear the fastening bolts and throw the platens out of true parallelism with the table,,causing imperfect work. To overcome these defects I make the yoke hollow and connect the chamber therein with the steam supply, so as to heat it equally and therefore as the yoke and table are equally heated they both expand equally, and in this way the bolts 1 which fasten the yoke to the table are not affected and a secure and uniform relation between the yoke and table is maintained.

If the yoke was not heated it would not expand with the table and would spring,

stated, and this would throw the platens out of true parallelism with the surface of the table and produce unequal, imperfect, surface work; and also cause the fastening bolts to loosen; but by heating the yoke and the table equally all these objections are overcome; and furtheremore, by providing two accurately operating platens, I can either operate them both simultaneously to press one double page matrix or they can be operated independently to simultaneously press two single page matrices.

The pulleys 6 may be simultaneously driven from a-suitable driver by a belt, not shown, running over said pulleys and over an idler 6 mounted upon the frame.

The machine shown operates as follows:

The machine normally stands with the rollers h in the gaps 5 between the cams 5 and 5 the platens being then in highest position. After the work has been adjusted on the table beneath a platen the operator depresses the outer end of the related treadle 9 thereby throwing roller 8 out of the gap and simultaneously engaging the clutch 7 with the pulley 6; whereupon motion is imparted to the gear 5, and as gear 5 turns the outer end of lever 8 is depressed, consequently lowering the platen with great power until the gear 5 has made a half revolution and the roller 8 again enters a gap 5 between the cams 5", 5 whereupon the clutch is thrown out of engagement, and the ear 5 stops; this holds the platen down under pressure, the amount of pressure being regulable by adjusting the length of the spring pressureregulating connections between lever 3 and crank pin 5 so that any desired pressure may be applied by the platen, but a dangerously excessive pressure will be prevented by the yielding of spring l; While compression is on and 5 is at its lowest point the spring should always be slightly compressed, to insure that the desired pressure for which the machine is set shall be maintained evenly and con stantly. When the operator wants to remove the work he again depresses the treadle lever 9 thereby disengaging roller 8 from the. gap 5" and re'engaging the clutch, and gear 5 will then be rotated another half revolution until the crank pin 5 has reached its uppermost position and the roller 8 again enters a gap 5 between the cams, whereupon the machine is stopped, as before, until the operator wishes to again lower the platen.

What I claim is:

1. In a steam table the combination of a hollow steam heated table, a hollow steam heated yoke mounted upon said table, a

platen supported by said yoke, and platen operating devices.

2. In a steam-table the combination of a hollow table, a hollow yoke mounted upon said table, a platen supported by said yoke, and platen operating devices; with means for supplying steam to the chambers in the table and in the yoke to heat the same uniformly, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a compressor, the combination of a steam table, a hollow steam heated yoke thereon, a pair of side by side platens operatively suspended from said yoke, and means for operating said platens independently, said platens being adapted to cooperate upon large matrix, or to operate separately upon smaller matrices, and means for supplying steam to the table and yoke.

4. In a mechanical compressor steamtable, the combination of a steam heated table, a steam heated yoke fastened to said table, a pair of side by side platens operatively suspended from said yoke, and means for operating said platens independently, said platens being adapted to simultaneously operate upon a double page matrix or to operate separately upon single page matrices.

5. In a steam table, the combination of a hollow table, a hollow yoke bolted to said table, a pair of side by side platens opera- Goples of this patent may be obtained for tively suspended from said yoke adapted to i ducting steam to the chambers of the yoke and table to heat the latter uniformly, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a mechanical compressor steam table, the combination of a table having a steam chamber therein, a yoke connected with the table and having a steam chamber therein, a platen operatively suspended from said yoke, means for simultaneously admitting steam into the chambers of the,

table and ofthe yoke to heat the table and the yoke to prevent injurious unequal expansion of the table and yoke and maintain parallelism between the surface of the table and platen, substantially as described.

7. In a compressor or drying table, the combination of a hollow table, a hollow platen-supporting means and means for simultaneously and correspondingly heating both.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' HENRY F. BEOHMAN.

Witnesses:

IRVING K. STONE, CHARLES A. GRAMES.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, 13.0." 

